Fast facts: In the spot that formerly housed Olmos Park Bistro and Valentino's di Olmos, this space now combines elements of both menus. A subsequent phone call to the restaurant indicated that the menu and the restaurant name itself could change. Laurent Rea, former chef at the bistro, is consulting with this restaurant. The décor hasn't changed much from the bistro days, but a more casual American menu aims to make it more accessible. The new restaurant will soon have a full liquor license.

Impressions: Our lunch started nicely with fresh, tender, calamari with a crisp batter. The calamari would have benefitted from a quick sprinkle of salt before dipping in the breading, but that was a minor quibble. Throughout the menu, our items were prepared competently. An order of mussels and fries had a good flavor, but the broth had too much salt. The accompanying fries were nice, crisp and well seasoned and would have been even better if they had been served hot. A panino of spinach, prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and spinach needed more seasoning, as did a chicken breast atop an order of tagliatelle and the accompanying goat cheese sauce.

This place has been only open a short while, so it may take a little time for the kitchen to move from competency to mastery. Service, however, was very attentive and professional. Here's looking forward to watching it grow in the coming weeks and months.